The present invention relates to coolers and more particularly to a cooler adapted for use in conjunction with platform-type seats.
A wide variety of coolers have been available to the consumer in the past. The most common type has been the conventional chest picnic cooler, typically including a bottom, four sides and a top. The top may be hinged or snapped in place. The chest-type cooler will typically include a pair of handles one disposed at either end for easy handling. Often, such a cooler will include a stopcock or drain at the bottom for easy removal of any water that may accumulate in the chest. Such picnic coolers are normally placed in use by inserting a block of ice or a bag of ice cubes therein and subsequently placing food materials such as beverages, meats and the like in the chest.
The known cooler chests are convenient for use in most environments. When going on a picnic, such chests are often placed in the trunk or back seat of an automobile during travel to the picnic and subsequently placed on or near a picnic table for use. Coolers are generally light weight and easy to carry; however, some coolers have been proposed which are built into travel trailers and boats. The built-in coolers typically are not portable but rather remain in place during and in between uses.
Although chest-type coolers serve a very important function in recreational eating and drinking activities, there are instances in which they create substantial interference with other recreational activities. One such instance is use of a chest-type cooler in a conventional fishing boat. One may for example, place the chest-type cooler on the floor of a boat between a pair of seats thus providing for storage of beverages such as soda pop and sandwiches on a hot day of fishing. The chest-type cooler is well suited to keep the beverages and food cool.
However, if one decides to move about in the boat, the chest provides a substantial inconvenience. In other words, if a person is to move past the cooler, one must step over or move around the chest. Another environment in which a chest-type cooler becomes inconvenient is in the stands or bleachers of a ball game. Fans may bring beverages such as soda pop to a ball game in a chest-type cooler. The chest may be placed in the walk-way between rows of bleachers. Here again, anyone wishing to move past such a chest must step over or encounter some difficulty in getting around such a chest. The present invention provides a cooler which is compatible for use with bench-type seats such as those found in a boat or in a set of bleachers.